Finland has offered sanctuary to a fugitive Cambodian former police chief detained in Malaysia, citing human rights concerns, its envoy said today.

Finland's ambassador to Malaysia, Lauri Korpinen, said his government decided several days ago to offer a restricted visa allowing Heng Pov to enter the country after his lawyers lodged an application.

"This visa is a restricted visa ... so this person is not entitled to go to other countries in Europe," said Korpinen.

"We will consider further action after he has arrived in Finland. I don't know his plans. Now, this is just to help him in this situation," he told AFP .

Heng Pov, 49, has been in detention in Malaysia for immigration offences since early October, and has been fighting against deportation to Cambodia, where he says he could be tortured and executed.

Heng Pov was convicted and sentenced in absentia on September 18 for conspiracy in connection with the killing of municipal court judge Sok Sethamony, who was shot in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

No longer a Malaysian problem

Korpinen said mounting concern from non-government organisations, several European parliamentarians and Cambodian refugees in Finland over Heng Pov's fate had figured in the decision to offer him a visa.

"They were all worried about his situation and the human rights issue was one of the major factors in the decision that was made," he said.

"I don't know if he is going to apply for refugee status in Finland or other countries," he said, adding that Heng Pov had not been granted political asylum, which would have compelled Malaysia to give him safe passage to Finland.

Lawyers for Heng Pov said they were hopeful the Finnish offer would allow him to leave Malaysia. He arrived here from Singapore in September with the intention of seeking asylum in another country.

"Now that we have provided an avenue there shouldn't be any reservations on the part of the Malaysian government any more, because the problem won't be coming back to Malaysian shores," lawyer Abd Shukor Ahmad told AFP .

He said documents relating to Finland's offer had been submitted to Kuala Lumpur's high court and a decision could be made as soon as the next hearing, on Dec 13.